


Prelude in BMW

by Liviania



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviania/pseuds/Liviania
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>. . . they both still had the marks to show for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prelude in BMW

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alasse_Irena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alasse_Irena/gifts).



> I take some liberties with this incident as it is described in Chapter 2, since the narration says Ronan and Adam take turns dragging each other on a moving dolly behind the BMW. That can't have happened since Adam can't drive the BMW without stalling it later in the novel. I decided to chalk it up to Gansey being unreliable to things not involving Glendower and ran with it.
> 
> Alasse_Irena, thank you for the inspiring prompt. I'm sorry I'm not half the writer Maggie Stiefvater is, but I hope you enjoy this story anyway. Happy Yuletide!

Ronan pulled smoothly into the parking lot, the BMW purring softly as he downshifted. Adam didn't think Ronan and Gansey could drive two more different cars if they tried. He would've suspected Ronan of buying the BMW to mock Gansey's Camaro aside from the fact that would require subtlety. Ronan did not fear his best friend's feelings.

"Who wants to go first?" he asked, a challenging smile stretching across his face.

Adam longed to be unaffected, but couldn't resist responding. "I'll go. I can't drive stick anyway."

Ronan arched one eyebrow. "Mechanic boy can't drive manual?"

"Nope," Adam replied, his accent thickening. He probably sounded as defensive as he felt. He grabbed one of the skateboards and clambered out of the car, hiding his face from Ronan.

"I'll teach you one day," he said to Adam's back. "You might need to ride to Gansey's rescue one day, when the Pig strands him again."

Noah suddenly spoke up. Adam had almost forgotten that he was in the car too. "I'll drive," he said. "I don't like skateboards."

Ronan laughed. "Afraid you'll fall and bump your head?"

"It's too late for that," Noah said. It was a strange thing to say, but so were many things Noah said, no matter how plainly he said them. But when he offered an opinion he meant it, so Ronan popped the trunk then slid from the car, leaning through the door Adam left open to take the remaining skateboard.

Adam and Ronan left their skateboards beside the BMW before they each grabbed a coil of rope from the trunk. Ronan shut it with a bang that rocked the whole car. Adam winced at his carelessness and Ronan grinned, darting into his space. "Think I'm too rough?" he whispered in Adam's ear.

Adam stumbled back, startled, and the satisfied Ronan kneeled down to tie his length of rope to the car. "Hand me yours," he commanded, tying it beside his own. He didn't let go of the rope as he stood, moving immediately to tie it around Adam's left wrist.

"Shouldn't we wear helmets?" Adam asked, suddenly nervous with Ronan's fingers brushing against his skin.

Ronan scoffed, not deigning to reply. Of course, Ronan never worried about something so mundane as his life. Adam, on the other hand, had plans for himself that didn't involve splattering his brains across a deserted parking lot. "You'll be fine," Ronan said, rolling his eyes and shoving Adam for good measure. "Grab our boards."

There was just enough slack to allow Adam to reach the skateboards, and by the time he retrieved them Ronan was tied the car as well, his ever-present leather bracelets tight around his wrist where he'd shoved them out of the way of the rope.

"Here you go, milord," Adam said, shoving Ronan's into his chest.

"If you were my servant I'd fire you. I'd hire someone pretty, like Gansey."

"I'd be more competent than Gansey."

"That is the saddest compliment anyone has ever paid themselves."

Both boys stepped onto their boards, and Adam tugged on his rope a little to make sure he was secured to the BMW. He'd barely grabbed a hold of the rope with his free hand when Ronan told Noah to hit the gas. The car leapt into motion and soon enough the boys were flying, keeping their balance through luck as much as skill. It was a comfortably cool spring evening, but the wind felt cold as it rushed over them. Their only protection was their Aglionby sweaters. Adam realized that he was happy Noah volunteered to drive. He probably wasn't even going 15 miles per hour, because Noah actually thought about things, but Ronan would push it. Even now he yelled at Noah to go faster. Adam wondered if Ronan was actually enjoying himself, or just waiting to fall.

It didn't matter, because scarcely five minutes later a tremendous noise filled the lot. Gansey had arrived. It was one of the ways the brilliantly orange Camaro best fit Gansey. It was impossible not to notice. It was also impractical and seductive despite its failings. Adam was a boy, and he knew cars, and it was a 1973 Camaro. He couldn't keep himself from loving it.

Adam missed Gansey climbing out of his car, too intent on keeping himself stable, but he certainly noticed when Gansey ran to them and stopped in front of the BMW's path, already babbling something. Noah braked in time, or perhaps Gansey refused to be run over.

"And I bought this recorder—" he paused, noticing for the first time that Ronan and Adam were outside the vehicle. "What are you doing?" he asked. Adam suspected Gansey was immune to the sort of fun that didn't involve long dead Welsh kings. Gansey frowned slightly. "Did you hear anything I said?"

"No," Ronan replied. "Now come cut this rope. I can't get the knot undone."

"I don't have a knife."

"There's one in my pocket."

"Which one?" Gansey asked.

Adam tried to untie himself and found that the knot around his own wrist had tightened beyond his abilities too. Great, he needed to be cut free too. "Can you do me second?"

Ronan faked shock. "Asking Gansey for help? You'll end the world that way."

"It's not unreasonable to want to do things myself!"

"Now, now, no one likes a liar."

"Stop antagonizing Adam and hold still," Gansey said, trying to position the knife so that he could cut the knot without hurting Ronan.

"Don't you know you don't have to be careful with me?"

"You most of all," Gansey said calmly, moving on to free Adam. "You stay still too," he said, looking into Adam's eyes.

"I know; _I'm_ not stupid."

"Sure you aren't," Ronan said, shoulder-checking the now loose Adam. He bent to pick up Adam's skateboard when he stumbled off it.

Adam caught himself on his left wrist, but he was unprepared for the jolt of pain that shuddered through his arm as it made contact with the asphalt. He looked down and saw that a circle around his wrist had been rubbed raw, blisters already bubbling from the torn flesh. He stayed down and caught his breath, cocking his head just high enough that he could see Gansey and Ronan's wrists. It was hard to tell through the leather bands, but it looked like Ronan's wrist was bleeding. He wondered if Ronan even felt it.

"We should go home," Noah said, startling the other three.

"But I have news!" Gansey grinned, no longer distracted by Ronan and Adam's bondage. "It's St. Mark's Eve in a couple of weeks and we should be able to hear spirits then, if we go to the right place. I bought this recorder. We can go to the church and tape everything that happens that night and then listen to it in the morning. Sometimes spirits communicate on frequencies that humans can't hear."

"As everyone knows," Ronan said, lazing his words to make his sarcasm clear. "I hope you don't expect me to sit in a cemetery all night."

"I can't stay out," Adam said. He would already be in trouble with his father for coming home late today.

"Noah?" asked Gansey, slightly peevish.

"I might interfere."

"I'll go alone then," Gansey said. "I'm sorry the rest of you have to miss it," he added, magnanimous.

"We aren't," Ronan said.

"This will be the year we find Glendower," Gansey insisted. "We're close."

"It's time to go home," Noah said again, gazing distantly at the setting sun.

Not far away, Blue opened the door of her home at 300 Fox Way to her mother's sister Neeve. "This is the year you'll fall in love," she said.


End file.
